Loyola’s elusive Kairos retreat kicked off Thanksgiving break, drawing students from all class years to the event despite the trip’s secrecy.
Kairos, meaning “God’s time,” is a Christian retreat where students of all grade levels can gather at Loyola’s retreat center in Western Maryland for a time of growing closer to God and strengthening their bond with their community.
Kairos retreats are a well-known program in Catholic high schools. Although Loyola keeps its Kairos retreat details private, many Loyola students with Catholic school backgrounds are familiar with the retreat as an opportunity to disconnect from outside influences, such as social media, and reflect on themes of community and love.
Both the itinerary and list of attendees for Loyola’s Kairos retreat are kept confidential from the Loyola community and those who register to attend. Past Kairos participants are not allowed to share trip details, but they can discuss whether they had a positive experience. Word of mouth has helped build a strong reputation for Kairos, and stories of personal growth motivate others in the Loyola community to take a chance on the retreat.
Senior coordinator of the Kairos retreat Clare O’Brien ‘26 sees beauty in keeping Kairos a secret.
“A lot of what makes Kairos so special is that it’s secret in a sense, or that what happens on the mountain stays on the mountain, because those are such raw, authentic opportunities to be open and build that community,” O’Brien said.
Nicole Ionata ‘26 attended Kairos during high school and decided to sign up for this semester’s retreat before graduating in the spring. She expected the Kairos retreat to be a space where she could discover more about herself and God. However, the secretive elements of Kairos still made her a little nervous.
“They are so secretive about it, because they want you to go in blind to get more of an experience out of it … It still makes me a little nervous, especially not knowing who else is going,” Ionata said.
Kairos retreats are held at Loyola’s retreat center in Flintstone, Maryland, about three hours away from campus. Transportation and all meals are provided in the retreat’s cost.
O’Brien believes that the retreat’s location contributes to its impact.
“It’s just such a special place where, in a sense, you feel separated and disconnected from the busyness of campus, but you also feel that sense of community and a homey feeling within the retreat center as well,” O’Brien said.
This semester’s retreat ran from Nov. 21–23, overlapping with the weekend when students traveled home for Thanksgiving break. Ionata said the timing didn’t discourage her from attending Kairos.
“Yes, I would like to go home, but I [thought] this will be a fun way to start my Thanksgiving break. Just getting to that mindset of being with God and with others and just being on that ‘kai high’ and then just going right into Thanksgiving being with family and friends,” Ionata said.
O’Brien has been involved with the Kairos retreat in various roles since her freshman year. Kairos offers retreatants dedicated time for laughter and peace, and, because of this, O’Brien believes it has helped many retreatants achieve personal growth.
“I’ve really grown to love how people transform during the retreat, whether they recognize it or not, there’s changes happening within them, and to be able to see people going in, and then coming out as a brand new person, whether or not that’s in a renewed sense of their relationship with God, or in a renewed sense of self-worth or love from their community, or just appreciation for the people around them, or even just having a renewed sense of peace,” O’Brien said.
A Kairos retreat will be held again in April 2026. The cost is $75 per person, and scholarship opportunities are available. O’Brien recommends that interested retreatants sign up as soon as the registration opens, as Kairos frequently reaches full capacity.